You may want to fast foward to the 2 minute mark if you want to save some time.

Both the Mukka Express and the Brikka seem to work by holding back the pressure so you get a much higher extraction pressure,although, in the former, it's just used to inject steam into the milk.

My only complaint about the Mukka Express is that unless you get the glass one, they are a pain to clean if you make a cappuccino with it.The glass one is noticeably smaller than the standard "Cow pattern" one, but it's also more suitable for a single person. The aluminum onesare meant for two people.

Garbage In, Garbage Out, for every step of the process. From Beans to grinder, grounds to machine, coffee to cup.

Posted Wed Nov 21, 2012, 7:10am Subject: Re: Professional barista, how disappointed will I be with a cheap home machine?

Uh, Russel?

russel Said:

I would recommend that you look into a La Pavoni Europiccola or Professional . . . On the used market they can be picked up for less than $500. They are simple and will last forever with basic maintenance.

I'm with (most of) the others: skip the espresso until you can afford it. As I've often said, you don't need to spend thousands to get great espresso at home, but you do need to spend something, and $100-150 and a PPF is a recipe to make $#|+, not espresso.

Posted Wed Nov 21, 2012, 10:50am Subject: Re: Professional barista, how disappointed will I be with a cheap home machine?

vacpot are supposed to make very good tasting coffee. I keep hoping to find a used one at goodwill. Good luck with that and good idea about setting up the change jar to save up for a machine. When you get about $80 start watching craigslist for deals. People often buy stuff then never use it and post a barely used espresso maker on sale. Sometimes even family members might have something collecting dust. Ask around at thanksgiving and Christmas. You might get lucky and they give it to you just to get it out of the garage.

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